DVD Reviews

The Last Airbender - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Nov 25, 2010, 12:13 GMT

Experience the thrilling live-action adventure based on the hit Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Join Aang, an extraordinary boy with incredible “bending” powers, as he journeys through an exotic land filled with magical creatures and powerful friends. As the Avatar, he is the only one who can end the age-old conflict between the four nations: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. An inspirational journey, The Last Airbender is exciting entertainment ...more

At one time M. Night Shyamalan was Hollywood’s golden child, he could control earth, water, fire, and air.  However, his last few films were met with displeasure if not downright hatred.  His adaptation of the animated television series was thought of as his comeback, but does it work? 

In a different time and place, certain individuals are born with the ability to control certain elements.  This has led to societies divided into the elements: Fire Nation, Air Nomads, Water Tribes, and Earth Kingdom.  There was also a mythical being called the Avatar (no not those tall blue people) that could control all four elements.  However, the last Avatar vanished one-hundred years ago. 

In that time, the mechanized Fire Nation has been conquering the other nations.  There is a water tribe at the South Pole.  Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her brother Sokka (Jackson Rathbone) are out hunting a seal when they happen upon a glowing sphere under the ice. 

The sphere contains Aang (Noah Ringer) and his flying bison Appa; they have been under the ice for a century because Aang is the missing Avatar.  The Water Tribe is harassed by a group from the Fire Nation. 

This group is led by the exiled Prince Zuko (Dev Patel), who in shame was tasked by his father Fire Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtis) to find the missing Avatar.  However, he’s looking for an old man not a child.  They had seen the bright light released by Aang breaking out of the sphere and he surrenders to them as long as they leave the village in peace. 

Back on board their ship, Aang is tested by Zuko’s uncle Iroh (Shaun Toub) and is revealed to be the Avatar.  Zuko thinks his quest is at an end, but Katara and Sokka fly in on Appa to rescue Aang. 

The group flies back to the Air Nation and Aang discovers that much tragedy has been occurring in the last one-hundred years as he is the last Airbender.  Now Aang has to hone his powers to bend the other three elements all the while avoiding Zuko and Commander Zhao (Aasif Mandvi), which are in rival pursuit to capture him. 

M. Night Shyamalan was on a roll, but then The Village, Lady in the Water and the Happening happened.  His fans, and perhaps himself, had high hopes that his adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon animated series would find him on his game again. 

I’ll also have to admit liking Lady in the Water, though M. Night casting himself in a showy role was a bit much.  I’ve not seen The Happening, but from what I’ve heard I’ve spared myself some hurt. 

Sadly, I did not find Last Airbender the return to glory that some where hoping for.  First off, I kept thinking that some of the soul has been drained out of the film.  Where it should be sweeping and epic, it just doesn’t happen.  Maybe it was the compression of several first season episodes into a 103 minute film, but whatever it was the film just didn’t grab me. 

It seemed like some character development might have been jettisoned to get on to the action and fantasy.  In the show, or so I recall, Appa was a member of the group and used as comedy relief. 

In the film, he’s seen about three times and really doesn’t make an impression.  That really shouldn’t matter much I suppose but I thought it underused what was given a bigger part in the show. 

The performances range from good to middling.  Noah Ringer just seems to be missing something as Aang though I didn’t really hate him, just thought he was lacking. 

Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone (a distant relation to Basil – didn’t know that) did well enough I thought.  Dev Patel had a moment or two, but the performer that I wanted to see more of was Shaun Toub as Iroh.  I thought he was very good.  I just don’t think that the film came together in what should’ve been an epic quest. 

In the end it felt abbreviated.  I’m sure fans of the show will hate it more than the uninitiated even with the last minute conversion to 3D.  I don’t think that M. Night fans wanting a return to form will get it with the Last Airbender. 

The Last Airbender is presented in a very nice 1080p transfer (2.35:1).  Special features, all presented in high definition, include the 58 minute, nine-part “Discovering the Last Airbender,” the 18 minute “Seige of the North” highlighting the massive set, the 7 minute “Origins of the Avatar” detailing the journey from animated show to big screen, the 5 minute “Katara for a Day” set visit with Peltz, 11 minutes of deleted scenes, a 4 minute gag reel, and the picture-in-picture “Avatar Annotations” that has the cast and crew popping up during the film.  Disc two is a DVD and digital copy. 

The Last Airbender may well be the last trip for these characters to the big screen judging from the mediocre box office receipts.  The film should’ve felt epic but in some ways it was just as mediocre as the box office.  Luckily a host of nice special features take some of the sting off, but the movie doesn’t inspire. 

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